[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 94 (Wednesday, June 3, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E522]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





HONORING SAINT JOSEPH CHURCH ON THE OCASSION OF THEIR 100TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 3, 2026

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join the congregation of 
Saint Joseph Church in Ansonia, Connecticut in honoring the celebration 
of their 100th Anniversary. Throughout its history, the church and its 
congregation have demonstrated a unique commitment to serve the 
community and ensure that the most vulnerable of our citizens can find 
comfort and resources in their time of need.
  Founded in 1925, St. Joseph's has been a spiritual home for Polish 
immigrants and their families and is one of the Polish American Roman 
Catholic parishes in New England in the Archdiocese of Hartford. In 
June 1925, Bishop John J. Nilan appointed Vincentian Fr. Aloysius 
Zielenznik, C.M., as pastor of the new St. Joseph Parish. With the 
church itself under construction, the first Mass for the Polish 
congregation was celebrated on July 12, 1925. at a Central Street Hall 
rented from an Italian society. Upon its completion the church, which 
still stands today, was dedicated on September 6, 1926. Ten days later, 
St. Joseph School opened, staffed by the Sisters of the Holy Family of 
Nazareth.
  As the parish grew in membership, so too did their desire for their 
church to have a church bell to summon the faithful to church services. 
In 1950, then church leader Father Casimir Kwiatkowski was passing 
through Winchester, New Hampshire when he noticed a bell for sale in 
front of a Protestant church. He immediately made an inquiry and was 
able to purchase the bell on the spot and for a great price at just 
under five hundred dollars. The bell was brought back to St. Joseph's 
and on the occasion of administering the sacrament of Confirmation in 
the parish on October 14, 1950, Bishop Henry J. O'Brien, D.D., blessed 
the century old bell and named it Casimir. The bell was rung for the 
first time on November 1, 1950, the day the dogma of the Assumption was 
solemnly proclaimed in Rome by Pope Pius XII and it has been fixture at 
St. Joseph's ever since.
  Saint Joseph Church has not only been a center for religious worship, 
but a vehicle through which their members could give back to the 
community. Our churches play a vital role in our communities--providing 
people with a place to turn to for comfort when they are most in need. 
For the last century, Saint Joseph Church has been a treasured landmark 
in Ansonia. Through their ministry and outreach efforts, they have left 
an indelible mark on the community and continue to make a difference in 
the lives of others.
  Saint Joseph Church gives its members a place to find their spiritual 
center and to solidify and support their values--a beacon of light and 
hope for their members and the community. I am proud to stand today and 
extend my very best wishes to them as they mark this milestone in their 
history. Happy 100th Anniversary and as we say in Italian, to another 
hundred--C'ent Anni.

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